CFSA is pleased to share that the 2022 Buddy Amos Founders Award recipient is Andrew (Andy) Rush, artist and founder of The Drawing Studio.
This award was established in 2015 to honor George H. “Buddy” Amos Jr., a CFSA founder, for his vision and ability to inspire. The award recognizes nonprofit founders who have demonstrated inspirational leadership in the areas of community service, philanthropy, mentoring, collaboration, or systems change that reaches beyond their organization.
Founded in 1992 by Andy and a core group of Tucson artists, The Drawing Studio brings art and the benefits of creating art to the entire community. They offer classes and workshops, host events and exhibits, and foster awareness of the positive effects of creativity on individuals and the entire community. Under Andy’s leadership, The Drawing Studio envisions the world as a better place where art and creative spirit are fostered as cultural necessities.
An artist himself, Andy shared, “At The Drawing Studio, I take great pleasure in working with people from all walks of life who bring incredible life experience and richness to the study of art, a richness that informs their visual expression once they have the tools and practices to inform their work.”
A former professor of art at the University of Arizona, Andy is a printmaker, sculptor, and drawer. He has been active as an American artist since 1959. His art has been included in many national exhibitions, especially of prints and drawings, and he has been a book illustrator and public artist. In 1981, he took an interest in tile and relief sculpture, especially in public places, garden settings, and other architectural applications. He is a resident and founder of the Rancho Linda Vista art community in Oracle, Arizona, established in 1968.